Jerusalem in Ruins
Study note
The nations have invaded God's land, defiled the temple, and turned Jerusalem into rubble. The dead lie unburied and the neighbors mock them.
1 God, foreign nations have stormed into your land. They have ruined your holy temple. They have turned Jerusalem into a pile of broken stones. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
2 They have left the bodies of your servants out in the open for birds to eat. They have thrown the flesh of your loyal people to wild animals. The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
3 Blood has been poured out like water all around Jerusalem. No one is left to give the dead a proper burial. Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
4 Our neighbors look down on us. The people living nearby laugh at us and make fun of us. We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
How Long, Lord?
Study note
The psalmist asks how long God's anger will burn. He asks God to pour out his wrath on the nations that do not know him and to forgive Israel's sins.
5 How much longer will this go on, Lord? Will you stay angry at us forever? Will your jealousy keep burning like a wildfire? How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
6 Aim your fury at the nations that ignore you -- the kingdoms that never bother to call on your name. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
7 They are the ones who chewed up Jacob and left his homeland in ruins. For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.
8 Please do not punish us for what our ancestors did wrong. Rush to meet us with your tender care, because we are at the very end of our strength. O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
Help Us for Your Name's Sake
Study note
The psalmist asks God to help for the glory of his name. Let the groaning of prisoners be heard. Then God's people will praise him forever and tell each generation about his faithfulness.
9 Come to our rescue, God who saves us! Do it because your name matters. Set us free and wipe away our sins for the honor of your own name. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
10 Why should the other nations get away with saying, "So where is their God now?" Let us see you pay them back, right before our eyes, for spilling the blood of your servants. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
11 Listen to the groaning of the prisoners. Use your incredible strength to keep alive those who have been sentenced to die. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
12 Pay our neighbors back seven times over for the insults they threw at you, Lord. And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
13 Then we, your people -- the sheep you look after -- will thank you forever. Generation after generation, we will keep telling everyone how wonderful you are. So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.